


Kissing the Sun

by misura



Category: Dragon's Winter - Elizabeth A. Lynn
Genre: M/M, post-Dragon's Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26442265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: Summer, songs and sweetness.
Relationships: Karadur Atani/Azil Aumson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 2
Collections: Fandom Trumps Hate 2020





	Kissing the Sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Acephalous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acephalous/gifts).



Summer arrived fast and hard that year, as if determined to burn away the memories of the winter that had come before. Sleeth's elderly basket-maker found herself doing a brisk trade in the sort of hats she'd only learned how to weave on a whim, one long-ago autumn.

Even some of the Keep's older men took to wearing them when they went out, to the amusement of some of the younger - several of whom promptly went and got sun-burnt, to Macallan's public disgust and private amusement.

"And if not for the heat making it impossible to think, I might immortalize them in song," Azil told Karadur. The two of them had retreated to Karadur's chambers where Azil claimed the temperature was at least bearable. "It would serve them right, don't you think?"

Karadur, being Dragon, was no more bothered by heat than by cold. "For your first song, I believe you can find a worthier subject than sun-hats."

"Such as?" Azil yawned. "No, wait, don't tell me. It won't do any good anyway."

"I think you're either being lazy or underestimating yourself. Perhaps both."

Coming from anyone else, Azil might have laughed off this estimation; coming from Karadur, he took the words as truth and considered his response accordingly. "I never really thought about writing my own songs. I mean, one day, yes, when I'd gotten too old to - " Azil looked at his hands, ravaged by something a good deal more violent than age. "It's not so easy, to create something from scratch. I'll think of some tune, and work on it for a bit, and then I'll realize it's nothing more than a variation on some half-forgotten song I've heard before."

Karadur kissed him, with more warmth than heat, though that was there, too. He was Dragon; gentleness was not in his nature, though Karadur made the effort regardless. It was a deliberate thing, Karadur's gentleness, and Azil cherished it and marveled at it and valued it all the more for its rarity.

"That's hardly going to help, you know," Azil said.

"I wasn't trying to." There was slightly more heat to the next kiss.

A voice in the back of Azil's head was still whispering, softly, _You will never be free. You will never be warm,_ but on days like these, it was easy to ignore, to silence it simply by not paying it any attention, by reminding himself that he was, in fact, free and warm and with Karadur, and loved.

 _Do not lose yourself in Dragon's country._ Another voice, older and wiser, and even easier to ignore, after years and years of practice and knowing that Azil had allowed himself to get lost a long time ago. For the most part, he had never regretted doing so - inasfar as he had had any choice in the matter.

Karadur made a sound somewhat resembling a growl. "Stop thinking so hard."

 _'Make me,'_ Azil almost said, but that would be unwise. One did not challenge Dragon without facing consequences. He said, "Help me?" instead, his grin making it a little less of a plea.

Karadur rolled his eyes, but he was grinning too now, and kissing Azil again, and Azil felt all the voices in his head go silent, except for the one that burnt brightest of all, the one that had told him it would know Azil anywhere and always.


End file.
